Aberdeen man jailed for raping friend

A rapist who carried out a sex attack on a woman friend after a birthday party has been jailed.

Hamish Paterson preyed on the victim at a house in Aberdeen after she had been drinking and fallen asleep.

Paterson, 25, had become good friends with the woman after they met through work.

But in October in 2017 she went to the party, which was also attended by Paterson, and after drinking later woke in an unfamiliar room to find him on top of her having sex with her.

The woman was earlier helped upstairs by partygoers and a woman aided her in getting into pyjamas before she went to bed.

Advocate depute Keith Stewart QC told jurors at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You might conclude the complainer was not in any condition in which she could consent."

Paterson, formerly of Donmouth Court, in Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, had denied assaulting and raping the 24-year-old woman on October 15 in 2017 while she was asleep and intoxicated, but was unanimously convicted of the offence by a jury.

He was acquitted of a further rape charge, which he had also denied, against another 23-year-old woman, who he also befriended, by a majority not proven verdict.

It was alleged that he assaulted and raped her on August 8 in 2017 at his home in Donmouth Court while she was asleep and after she awoke.

The court heard that the woman later sent Paterson a message saying she really did not know how to word this "but last night I said 'no' and you still carried on".

Paterson told police that the woman at the party kept making advances towards him and got "bladdered". He said she kept trying to kiss him and flirt with him and was "dirty dancing".

He claimed that he went upstairs to the same room as her to keep an eye on her following concerns that she would be sick.

Paterson said he only had the young mother's "best intentions at heart" and told officers: "I am not a bad person."

Defence counsel Craig Findlater said that first offender Paterson was still in work and asked for his bail to be continued ahead of sentencing next month.

The trial judge, Lord Uist, told Paterson that as he has no previous convictions he was required to obtain a background report on him before passing sentence.

The judge said: "You have been convicted by the jury of the grave crime of rape. In view of the terms of your conviction you will be remanded in custody."

Paterson was placed on the sex offenders' register.